Filing appliance.



H. J. HICK.

FILING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION HLED DEC. 16. 1909.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0..W^5HINUTON. D. C.

H. HICK.

FILING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6, |909.

1,157,159. 4 Patented oet. 19, 19.15.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. I'. HICK. FILING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I6. 1909.

1,157,159. Patented 001. 19, 1915.

D o) @nvmxmxm COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

HARRY J. HICILoE ALLIANCE, oIIIofAssIG'NcR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, lTo THE Y MGCASKEY REGISTER ooMrANY, (INCORPORATED IN.1914.,) 0E ALLIANCEoHIo, A

CORPORATIONV OF OHIO.

To all 'whom t may concern v Be it known that I, HARRY J. HICK, -a

Vcitizen of the United States, residing `at Alliance, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating towFiling Appliances, of which lthe following is a specification. i Thisinvention relates to a filing appliance.

The invention consists of a plurality ofk groups or sets of paper or slipfreceiving' holders which groups'ior sets are mounted upon an endless device, whereby each group iSI-adapted to be brought successively into position for ready and convenient manipulation and operation. v

The invention further consists, in combi.

nation with a plurality of groups of holders, of index devices one for each group of hold-l ers and cooperating therewith, whereby an index or index device is moved into operable position at the time when its corresponding set of holders is in operable position.

Y For the purpose of illustration I have,

the accompanying drawings, lshown and herein described one form of ling appliance and side members lb, klb.

embodying my invention.

Figure l isa side elevationof a filing ap-i pliance embodying my invention, one side of the casing being removed. Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the filing appliance. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the casing, and

sprocket wheels forthe endless device. Fig. 4f is a side elevation of a setjof holders'in operable position, somewhatenlarged to illustrate details of construction. Fig. 5 is anenlarged fragmentarynrplan View show' ing the index device.

.ln the drawings-fl indicatesra casing or housing, preferably comprising a back lu The side members 1b preferably extend forward as shownat lc "to provide a suitable support for a desk top or table 1d. lThetable ld is preferably transparent so that the person operating' the fil. ing appliance may readily refer to anindex, (to -be hereinafter described) ,located underrality of trays or drawers le., While'V the casinglillustrated in the drawings -isshownl as a portable casing, itv will'be: understood E ILI1'\ TGrv APPILIANGE.

Speceatonof Letters Iiatent. l Patented Oct, 19,1915. l Application iedneceiber 16, 1909. Serial No. 533,387. l

` mountednear the top ofthe opposite side members 1*?, l", and are free to turn in their bearings. kThe ,sprocket `wheels 2b inthe lower portion of the casing. ly are preferably fixed to atransverse shaft 2d, carried by the i side members l?, wherebythe two chains will always travel at the same rate of speed. If

desired, the shaft 2d may' bey extendedl through to the outside of the casing, as shown at 2e, and have connectedl to it a crank or suitable motorfor rotatingit.

Y 3 indicates a plurality of freely swingable frames, each carrying a set of slip holders 4.

Each of ,theVV frames 3 ,preferably 4comprises' a base 3a, a back 3b, and sides 3, the latter carrying pivot devices 3d coperating with allned special links in the chains 2a for connecting and supporting the fr'amebetwe'en vthev latter. rThe pivotl devices 3d arearranged atl such point on thesides 3c relative to the center ofgravity of the frame. when the latter is carrying a vset of holders 4, that thel framewill Ahang downwardly and the hold-- ers will be supportedin a substantially ver-` i tical position as the frame is moved from` one pointto another bythe chains 2a in their up and down runs and. movementl aroundthe.

sprockets 2l?, 2c. v

Each set of holders comprises a series ofvv i pivotally-mounted leaves 4a carrying slip v holding devices 4b. Inv the form of constructioncho'sen for illustration in the drawings, the leaves la are hingedly connected together by devicestc at their/lower ends, and

the frontmostleafgis pivotally and removably fulcrumed upon the base'V 3a of the frame3. p 5 indicates a"'combinedclockl and guide device, one for` each set of holders, pivotally supported at its rear end tothe adjacentV frame back 3b, and provided. on its front end 'with a lip or latch 5a.to .engageY with Athe upper end of the front-mostleaf of the ad-.. jacent set lof leaves, ,and lock all theleaves of, .thes'et upright position 1 as i, shown' inlholders 4,

ward the device 5 the front leaf will be re-V leased from the lip 5, and it may then be swung downwardly either singly or jointly with one or more of the connected leaves, into horizontal position uponthe table for rendering accessible the contents of the holders. This latter operation will movethel remaining leaves upwardly, which in turn will through thev engagement of the rearmost leaf with the device 5, throw the latter upwardly, whereby it will guide the rear leaf in its up and down movements. As the device 5 is preferably inclined when raised', it will automatically move forward and rearward the upper ends of the leaves 4a as they allY swing downwardly and upwardly, one by one or in groups. `When the front-most leaf is returned to upright position, the device 5 falls under the influence of gravity to normal position and automatically engages that leaf. Y

6 indicates the index or index devices comprising an endless web 6aL having a hori- Zontal run below the transparent table ld and a vertical run substantially parallel with and close to .the path of movement of the front edges of the leaf or holder carrying frames 3.

6b, 6b, indicate rollers or shafts around which the web 6P1 turns, and 6C, 6c, indicate guide rollers to change the direction of run from a horizontal to vertical direction. The web 6@L may itself be of a character of material to permit the entry of names thereon. In that event it may be provided with rulings to form spaces which receive and systematically index the names for the accounts or les carried by the holders t, but preferably index sheets 6d, one for each set of are detachably secured to one face of the web in a well known manner. As shown in Fig. 5, the index sheets are ruled to form columns and spaces to permit the entry and arrangement of the names and designating marksV in systematic order for accurate and ready reference. These sheets 6d are preferably arranged upon the web 6a in such position that when one of the frames 3 is in the position indicated in Figs. l and 4 whereby the leaves 4a of a group of leaves may be operated, the index sheet 6d carrying the names for the accounts or files mounted in that set of leaves, is below the transparent top la.

In order that the endless web 6a may be automatically moved to bring each of the index sheets 6d into reference position successively,I I provide devices, preferably comprising spaced lugs 7, which are carried by the web 6a and project Vtherefrom into the path of movement of the front edges of the frames 3, as the latter move downwardly. It will be understoodby reference to Fig. 1 that the lugs 7 are' spaced at such distances apart on the web 6a, and the frames 3 are supported at such points on the chains 2, that the movement of the endless device to bring a new frame 3 into operable position will operate to move the endless web a predetermined distance and bring a new index sheet 6d into reference position below the transparent table 1d.

The accounts or files in eachV set of holders may be arranged in any suitable manner, either by number or letter, but preferably they are arranged alphabetically, each set of holders being adapted to carry those accounts or iiles coming within certain letters of the alphabet, that is, one set of holders may carry all of the files the names of which commence with the letters and B, and so on.

It will be seen that in a iling appliance constructed according to the present invention, the ling facilities are doubled or tripled in number without materially enlarging the space,and that each set of holders or leaves Amay be easily and readily brought into operative position adjacent to the table, so that the leaves can be swung downwardly upon the same and the contents of the holder reached, without change of position by the person operating the appliance.

In fact, many alterations in construction and widely differing lembodiments and applications of my invention Vwill suggest themselves to those who become skilled or are now skilled in the art of making filing appliancesv ofv the class described, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosures and description herein, are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.v

Vhat I claim isl. In a filing appliance, the combination of a table, an endless movable device, and a plurality of sets of normally upright leaves ivotally supported on said device at spaced intervals from each other,`and arranged to be moved thereby to an operative position for swinging the leaves of each set on their pivotal supports forward and downward upon the table. Y

2. VIn a filing appliance, the combination of a table, an endless movable device, and a plurality of sets of normally upright leaves pivoted together and fulcrumed by the foremost leaf on said device at spaced intervals from each other, and arranged to be moved therebyfto an operative position for swinging the leaves on said fulcrum forward and downward upon the tablei v v loo 3. In a filing appliance, the combination of a table, an endless movable device, a plurality of sets -of normally upright leaves pivotally supported on said device at spaced intervals from each other, and arranged to be moved thereby to `an 'operative position for swinging the leaves of each set Yon their pivotal supports forward and downward upon the table, and` releasable means for locking the leaves in upright position.

4. In a iiling appliance, the combination of an endless movable device, a plurality of sets of holders supported on said device at Vspaced distances from each other and arranged to be moved thereby to an operative position, a freely movable endless web adapted to serve as an index for the said holders, and means between the sets of holders and the weband arranged to bel engaged by said sets of holders for moving the said a web therewith.

'i ing the web therewith, and a guide member for guiding each set of holders during its engagement with said members.

6. In a filing appliance, the combination of an endless movable device, a plurality of sets of holders supported on said device at spaced distances from each other and arranged to be moved thereby to an operative position, a plurality of movable indexes, one for each set of holders, movable to and out of an exposed position opposite the operativev position for said sets of holders, and means carried by said indexes and arranged to be engaged by said sets of holders successively Ythey are arranged in vertical position during.

for moving the indexes successively into'and out of exposed position.

7. In a ling appliance, the combination of an endless device, a plurality of sets of slip-holding leaves, means for supporting each of said sets of leaves in spaced position on said endless device, an endless web, arranged to carry-indexes, for the said sets of slip-holding leaves, and means controlled by said sets of leaves for moving the said web simultaneously with the endless device pre-V determined distances.

8. In a filing appliance, the combination of an endless device, a plurality of sets of slip-holding leaves, meansjfor supporting the said sets of slip-holding leaves in spaced position upon said endless device, a web, arv ranged to carry indexes for the said sets of' Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Gommirssioner of Patents,`

bill-holding leaves, andimeans carried by i the said web and coperating with the supportingmeans for the sets of slip-holding leaves for operating the said web simultaneously with the lsaid endless device.

9. In a filing appliance, the combination of an endless device, a plurality of frames pivotally mountedin spacedposition upon' said endless device, a set of pivotally mountv ed vslip-holding leaves carried by each of said frames,fa web, arranged to carryindexes, for the sets of slip-holding leaves, and means carried by the said web and projecting into thepath Vof movement of the said,l

frames and arranged to be engaged vthereby for moving the said endless web simultanel ously with the endless device.

l0. In a `filing appllance, the combination soY with a casing having a transparent desk porchains having up and'down runs, a pluraltion, an endless device comprising ytwo ity of sets of slip-holding leaves,`means for pivotally supporting the said 'sets of slipholding leaves between the chains whereby they are arranged in lvertical position' during the continuous movement 'of the said endless device, a web arranged to carry indexes, for the. said setsk of slip-holding leaves, the said web having a horizontal run below the transparent desk portion of the casing, and a vertical run arranged parallel tothe path-of movement of the supportingV means for the sets of slip-holding leaves,

and means carried by the said web and pro- Y jecting into the path of movement of the said supporting means and arranged to be engaged thereby to opera-te the said web.

11. In a tiling appliance, the combination with a casing having a transparent desk portion, an? endless device comprising two chains having up and down runs, a plurality of sets of slip-holding leaves, means for pivotally supporting the said sets of slipholding leaves between the chains whereby the continuous movement of the said endless device, a web, arranged to carry indexes, for

of movement of the supporting means yfor the lsets ofslip-holding leaves, and coperating means between the web and said supporting means for moving the web predetermined distances. 1

` In testimony whereof I aiix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

' HARRY J. I-IICK. Witnesses:

l HENRY VPoLLoCK, i

Lnvnnn'r'r W. LEWIS.

Washington, D. G. 

